Thomas Francis Meagher Resigns As Commander of the Irish Brigade May 8, 1863 "That Brigade no longer exists"

Wow. We never hear this stuff or at least it's not discussed frequently. I had no clue- we tend to see the Irish Brigade spoken of with such respect I've never suspected anything else.

Thanks for the enlightenment, Pat. Not sure I'm happy to be enlightened because it's a dreadful story. Still. It never pays to view History from between the fingers over your eyes.
 
Meagher's return to New York City was widely covered in the press as well. He was feted by the city at Astor House.

Irish American Weekly
Saturday, Jun 27, 1863
New York, NY
Page: 1

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Next NYC Mayor Opdyke made a toast to Meagher. He hailed him as a defender of civil liberty. Meagher then gave a response to the Mayor's toast. The beginning of it seeks to allay any question of loyalty. The end of it is interesting in how it defines the role of the immigrant in the Union army and for the cause of the United States. There is also an interesting defense of the German troops in the Army of the Potomac.

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This is all from the same issue of the Irish American cited above.
 
A second event to honor Meagher was organized a couple of days later. This one included Mayor Opdyke, again, and the Republican boss, Thurlow Weed. It appears in the same issue of the Irish American:

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There were many toasts and speeches, but there was also some disruption when New York native and Gov of Nevada James Nye spoke:

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